Konark Sun Temple : The Architectural Marvel of Kalinga

The Sun Temple, built in the thirteenth century by King Narasimhadeva-I (AD 1236-1264) of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, was conceived as a gigantic chariot of the Sun God, Surya, with twelve pairs of exquisitely ornamented wheels pulled by seven horses. The seven galloping horses (only one is still intact), represent the days of the week, while the twelve wheels ranged along the base stand for the twelve months. The eight spokes in the each wheel symbolise the eight prahars of the day.

The entrance is guarded by two lions, which are each shown crushing a war elephant. Each elephant in turn lies on top of a human body. The temple symbolises the majestic stride of the Sun god. At the entrance of the temple is a Nata Mandir. This is where the temple dancers used to perform dances in homage to the Sun god. All around the temple, there are various floral and geometric patterns. There are also human, divine and semi-divine figures in sensuous poses.

 Majestic in conception, this temple is indeed one of the most sublime monuments of India, famous as much for its imposing dimensions and faultless proportions as for the harmonious integration of architectural grandeur with plastic allegiance. It is admittedly the best in Orissa. Its fine traceries and scrollwork, as well as the beautiful and natural cut of animal and human figures, give it a superiority over other temples. The temple is a World Heritage Site.

Noble laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote of Konark: "here the language of stone surpasses the language of man."

The Sun temple belongs to the Kalinga School of Indian Temples with characteristic curvilinear towers mounted by cupolas. In shape, the temple did not make any major departure from other sikhara temples of Orissa. The main sanctum (229 ft. high) which was constructed along with the audience hall (128 ft. high) having elaborate external projections. The main sanctum which enshrined the presiding deity has fallen off. The Audience Hall survives in its entirely, but only small portions of the Dancing Hall (nata Mandir) and the Dining Hall (Bhoga-Mandap) have survived the vagaries of time. The Temple compound measures 857 ft (261 m) by 540 ft (160 m) The alignment of the Sun Temple is along the east-west direction.

The stones at Konark are not joined by any limestone or cement. Instead, they are joined in a unique manner by making the two stone plates so plane like glass plate that just one drop of gum can join the two stones. The intricately carved wheel (2.9 m in diameter) of the chariot on the face of the jagamohana is shown with its axle, a decorated hub and even an axle pin. The hub of the wheel is decorated with beaded rings and a few of lotus-petals. In the centre of spokes are richly carved medallions with gods such as Surya and Vishnu, erotic and amorous figures, kanyas in various mudras (poses), noblemen and animals.

Konark is a small town in Puri district of the state of Orissa, India, on the Bay of Bengal, sixty-five kilometres from nearest airport in Bhubaneswar.

Nissankamalla’s advocacy of Kalinga lineage to become a Sinhala King

Nissanka Malla, also known as Kirti Nissanka and Kalinga Lokesvara was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled the country from 1187 to 1196. He is known for his architectural constructions such as the Nissanka Lata Mandapaya, Hatadage and Rankot Vihara, as well as for the refurbishment of old temples and irrigation tanks. 

According to 'Rajavaliya,' Nissanka Malla ,from Sinhapura in Kalinga, came to Sri Lanka under the invitation of  King Parakramabahu the Great. This he did because there was a relationship between Parakramabahu and Nissankamalla. When Nissankamalla was brought to the country, he was first appointed a leader and then promoted to the post of 'Yuvaraja.'

There had been disputes after the death of King Parakramabahu, due to forwarding different claims to the throne. Both Pandya and Kalinga dynasties claimed a right to the throne and serious disputes arose. King Nissankamalla had taken trouble to point out that his dynasty – the Kalinga dynasty – had the right to kingship. He even installed inscriptions to prove this fact. His belief was that the rightful owners of kingship in Sri Lanka, were the kings belonging to the Kalinga dynasty.

A rock inscription made by Nissanka Malla at Dambulla mentions that he is of the Kalinga Dynasty and a descendant from the race of King Vijaya. Another inscription at Ruwanwelisaya describes him as being a member of a royal family of Kalinga born at Sinhapura. The inscription there reads;

...having come from the royal line of the Ikshvaku family having become like a forehead mark to the royal family of Kalinga emperors born at Sinhapura...

By claiming to be descended from Vijaya, the first king of Sri Lanka, Nissanka Malla justified his right to the throne. He secured his position further by declaring that the ruler of Sri Lanka should adhere to Buddhism. His rock inscription at Galpotha describes this, saying that "non-Buddhists should not be placed in power in Sri Lanka to which the Kalinga dynasty was the rightful heir".

King Nissankamalla's inscriptions refer the right ascendancy to the throne. It refers to a period 17 centuries before, when the 'Sinhala-Rajya' began. That is a reference to King Vijaya. According to this reference - "I who claim heredity to the line of King Vijaya of Sinhapura in Kalinga, am the only one, who is fit to be the king of Sri Lanka.”

Kalinga War Memorial : Peace Pagoda at Dhauligiri Hill

This is the Shanti Stupa (or Peace Pagoda) at the Dhauligiri hills in Bhubaneswar, India. It was here at Dhauligiri that emperor Ashok laid down the weapons of violence and accepted a life of Ahimsa in the form of Buddhism after the Kalinga war. This Buddhist structure was built jointly in 1972 by the Japan Buddha Sangh and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangh.

The Kalinga War & its Significance

In the annals of world history, Kalinga will be remembered for its pivotal role in spreading the rule of Dhamma and message of Buddha across the globe. Kalinga War which witnessed the brutal carnage of millions of innocent people from Kalinga, who laid down their lives to uphold their self-pride and defend their Motherland, became the turning point in world history. The repentance of Emperor Asoka for his ghastly deeds of inflicting sufferings to millions of war victims ultimately changed his heart and Chandasoka became Dharmasoka. First time in the world, a conqueror get conquered by Dhamma, Ahimsa & Satya and became the patron of these virtues of Buddha worldwide. 

The Kalinga War involved a fierce battle over the region of Kalinga between the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka the great and the state of Kalinga, a feudal republic located on the coast of the present day Indian state of Orissa.

Cause of the War

The main reasons for invading Kalinga were both political and economic. Since the time of Ashoka's father, King Bindusara, the Mauryan Empire based in Magadha was following a policy of territorial expansion. Kalinga was under Magadha control during the Nanda rule but regained independence with the beginning of the rule of the Mauryas. That was considered a great setback for the traditional policy of territorial expansion of the Magadhan emperors and was considered to be a loss of political prestige for the Mauryas.

Possibly Kalinga was a thorn in the body-politic of his dominions.  Andhra which lay to the south of Kalinga and comprised inter alia the modern Krishna and Godavari districts, was conquered by Bindusara. Thus on one side of the Maurya kingdom was Chola and on the other Kalinga. According to Hindu Political theory, Kalinga and Chola were natural enemies of the Maurya power and therefore natural friends of each other. It is not unreasonable to suppose that in Bindusara's war on Chola and Pandya, Kalinga was an ally of the latter, attacked the Maurya forces from the rear and was thus chiefly instrumental in its ending in failure. It was therefore perhaps supremely imperative to reduce Kalinga to complete subjection. To this task Ashoka must have set himself as soon as he felt he was securely established on the throne.

The overseas activities of Kalinga threatened the economic and commercial interest of Magadha. As Magadha was not an important sea power she had to depend on other friendly states having overseas commerce to sustain her own economic interest. She would face economic collapse if the coasts would be blockaded against her. The hostile attitude of the traders of Kalinga inflicted a serious damage on her which is alluded to by Lama Taranatha. According to Taranatha, the serpents of the eastern seas stole away the jewels of Ashoka at which the emperor became angry and invaded their territory. Thus a war with Kalinga was not only political but also of economic necessity. 

The pretext for the start of the war is uncertain. One of Susima's brothers might have fled to Kalinga and found official refuge there. Sushima was a prince of Mauryan empire and half-brother of Asoka. He was in line for his father Bindusara's throne, but was killed by Asoka. The refuge of Susima’s brother in Kalinga enraged Ashoka immensely. He was advised by his ministers to attack Kalinga for this act of treachery. Ashoka then asked Kalinga's royalty to submit before his supremacy. When they defied this diktat, Ashoka sent one of his generals to Kalinga to make them submit. The general and his forces were, however, completely routed through the skilled tact of Kalinga's commander-in-chief. Ashoka, baffled at this defeat, attacked with the greatest invasion ever recorded in Indian history until then. 

Course of the War

As Ramesh Prasad Mohapatra, eminent archaeologist from Orissa remarks, "No war in the history of India as important either for its intensity or for its results as the Kalinga war of Ashoka. No wars in the annals of the human history has changed the heart of the victor from one of wanton cruelty to that of an exemplary piety as this one. From its fathomless womb the history of the world may find out only a few wars to its credit which may be equal to this war and not a single one that would be greater than this. The political history of mankind is really a history of wars and no war has ended with so successful a mission of the peace for the entire war-torn humanity as the war of Kalinga."

 The war began in the 8th year of Ashoka's reign, probably in 261 BC. Ashoka's grandfather Chandragupta had previously attempted to conquer Kalinga, but had been repulsed. After a bloody battle for the throne after Bindusara's death, Ashoka tried to annex Kalinga. Ashoka was successful only after a savage war, whose consequences changed Ashoka's views on war and led him to pledge never to wage a war. It is said that in the aftermath of the Battle of Kalinga the Daya River running next to the battle field turned red with the blood of the slain; about 100,000 Kalinga civilians and more than 100,000 of Ashoka's own warriors were among those slain.

Dhauli hill is presumed to be the area where the Kalinga War was fought. The historically important Dhauli hills are located on the banks of the Daya River of Bhubaneswar in Orissa (India). Dhauli hill, with a vast open space adjoining it, has major Edicts of Ashoka engraved on a mass of rock by the side of the road leading to the summit of the hill.

Consequence of the War

Ashoka had seen the bloodshed with his own eyes. He felt that he was the cause of the destruction. The whole of Kalinga was plundered and destroyed. Ashoka's later edicts state that about 100,000 people were killed on the Kalinga side and 100,000 from Ashoka's army. Thousands of men and women were deported.

Ashoka's response to the Kalinga War is recorded in the Edicts of Ashoka. According to some of these (Rock Edict XIII and Minor Rock Edict I), the Kalinga War prompted Ashoka, already a non-engaged Buddhist, to devote the rest of his life to Ahimsa (non-violence) and to Dhamma-Vijaya (victory through Dhamma). Following the conquest of Kalinga, Ashoka ended the military expansion of the empire, and led the empire through more than 40 years of relative peace, harmony and prosperity.

"Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Priyadarsi, conquered the Kalingas eight years after his coronation. One hundred and fifty thousand were deported, one hundred thousand were killed and many more died (from other causes). After the Kalingas had been conquered, Beloved-of-the-Gods came to feel a strong inclination towards the Dhamma, a love for the Dhamma and for instruction in Dhamma. Now Beloved-of-the-Gods feels deep remorse for having conquered the Kalingas." Rock Edict No.13

Word-of-mouth stories passed down to us from our fore-fathers tells us that after the war was over and Ashoka the Great saw the destruction he had caused, a woman approached him and said, "Your actions have taken from me my father, husband, and son. Now what will I have left to live for?"Moved by these words, it is said, that he accepted/adopted Buddhism. He vowed to never take life again and became one of the most just ruler India has ever seen.

Emperor Ashoka tried to reach out to the common masses by his concept of Dhamma-Vijaya whereby the great ruler tried to appease his followers through the policy of love and unity. The mighty ruler adopted Buddhism as the official religion of the state. Under his able guidance, Buddhism had spread to far off foreign lands and became one of the prominent religions of the world. The drums declaring wars were replaced by the drums announcing ethical and moral principals with dhamma ghasa. He sent ambassadors of peace to the Greek Kingdoms in West Asia and several other countries. Ashoka even sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to propagate Buddhism in Srilanka. 

The world is indebted to Kalinga’s contribution in condemning the futility of war and propagating the message of peace, harmony and universal brotherhood. When the whole world is engulfed today in civilization clashes and divided upon prolonged differences on the basis of territorial hegemony, imperialistic greed and religious extremism, it is time to take lessons from history by remembering Kalinga War and Buddha’s Message.

Exploring an ancient kingdom

Volume 22 - Issue 20, Sep. 24 - Oct. 07, 2005(India's National Magazine from the publishers of THE HINDU)
Buddhist relics unearthed during recent excavations in Jajpur district of Orissa lead scholars to identify Radhanagar as the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kalinga.
PHOTOGRAPHS: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT 

A rock-cut elephant found during the excavations.

ORISSA is already known for its rich Buddhist heritage. Now its importance in ancient history is all set to mount. Experts believe that the recent discovery of Buddhist relics by archaeologists of the Orissa Institute of Maritime and South-East Asian Studies can solve many unanswered questions pertaining to the location of the capital of Kalinga, the Buddha's visit to the ancient kingdom, and Emperor Asoka's work in the land where he fought a bloody battle in 261 B.C., known as the Battle of Kalinga.

A pillar bearing floral designs, at Deuli.

Buddhist stupas, inscriptions, pottery and terracotta remains dating back to the third century B.C. have been dug up in Dharmasala block of Orissa's Jajpur district. The area is close to the well-known Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri Buddhist complex. The excavations were carried out after obtaining a licence from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Epigraphists of the ASI had deciphered the inscriptions and confirmed the findings, said State Culture Minister Damodar Rout.

"The excavation led to an amazing discovery in the field of ancient history, which could solve many puzzles of Indian history in general and Orissa history in particular, and may add new chapters in the annals of history," a beaming Rout said while announcing the findings recently.

Debraj Pradhan, Secretary of the Institute and director of the excavation project, said that the excavations had brought to light the fort of Tosali, the royal headquarters of Kalinga, at Radhanagar village in Dharmasala. The Asoka rock-edicts near the Dhauli hills near Bhubaneswar say that Tosali was the royal headquarters of Kalinga during the time of Asoka. But Tosali had not been identified till date. Though scholars tried to identify Tosali with Sisupalgarh near Bhubaneswar, no inscriptional evidence to buttress the arguments could be found.

A pendant found in Radhanagar. It has 'Tisa' inscribed on one side. Tisa was a brother of Asoka who stayed back in Kalinga after the great battle and, like his illustrious sibling, embraced Buddhism.

"The unearthing of several inscriptions and other corroborative evidence clearly proves that Radhanagar was the capital city of Tosali,'' Pradhan said. A senior ASI expert has deciphered the inscriptions as `Tosali Nagara', `Tosali Nagar' and `Tosali', and they are datable to the third and second century B.C.

The inscriptions tell the tale of a lost era. One of them says: `Kalinga rajna go'. Unfortunately, the remaining portion of the potsherd, which might have revealed the name of the Kalinga king, could not be retrieved. Experts now believe that the name of the Kalinga king during the Kalinga war might have started with `Go' or `Gu'.

The recent findings may also lead to the tracing of the exact venue of the Kalinga war. Yuddha Meruda in Korei block near Dharmasala seems to be the place where the historic battle between the forces of Asoka and the king of Kalinga was fought. Yuddha Meruda, a vast expanse of land on the bank of the Brahmani, seems to fit the descriptions of the battle. Until now, it was widely believed that the battle was fought on the banks of the river Daya on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

Archaeologists are excited over the uncovering of the actual site of the Kalinga battle because Yuddha Meruda is not very far from Radhanagar.

From the archaeologists' point of view, what is significant is that all the 10 Asoka stupas have been discovered within a radius of 10 km. This matches with the Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang's accounts (A.D. 629-645), which say that the Buddha had visited the region where Asoka constructed 10 stupas.

Excavation work is in progress at Langudi, Tarapur, Kayama and Deuli. Excavations will also be carried out in Neulpur, Kantigadia and Vajragiri to unearth the remaining stupas.

Terracotta potsherds found among the ruins in Radhanagar.

The ancient texts say that Emperor Asoka constructed these stupas to commemorate the Buddha's visit and preaching.

The current excavation has led to the unearthing of square stupas made of laterite blocks, burnt bricks, railing pillars, cross-bars and so on. Besides, pottery and terracotta remains of the Asoka period have been found in these hills.

Earrings found among the ruins in Radhanagar.

The excavation at Tarapur has led to the identification of the Kesa stupa. It has also been discovered that the stupa was built with a donation from Bhikhu Tapusa. The Buddhist texts say that the Kesa stupa is the earliest stupa. Two pillars, discovered at the site, carry the inscriptions `Kesa Thupa' and `Bheku Tapusa Danam'.

According to the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya, two merchants from Ukkala, on their way to Madhyadesa with 500 carts, met the Buddha on the last day of the seventh week after his enlightenment at Bodhgaya. They offered him rice-cake and honey. The Buddha gave them eight handfuls of his hair, which they later deposited in a stupa in their native Ukkala. The stupa came to be known as Kesa stupa (kesa meaning `hair'). It is now presumed that the place was a centre of attraction as early as the lifetime of the Buddha and that the Buddha visited the locality on the invitation of Tapusa and Bhallika, his first disciples.

Asoka might have chosen to construct 10 stupas in and around Tarapur as the Kesa stupa constructed by Tapusa during the sixth or fifth century B.C. possessed strands of Buddha's hair. Another reason was easy riverine communication, surrounded as the place was by rivers such as the Brahmani, the Kelua and the Sagadia.

The remains of a stupa at Deuli.

In one of the railing pillars found at Kesa stupa, the word `Kalingaraja' is inscribed. The pillar is broken and the remaining part of the name of the king is missing. The Kalinga monarch was probably a Buddhist and he might have made some endowment to the Kesa stupa, Pradhan said.

In another railing pillar, the inscription in Oriya is `Gupata Khandagiri Parikshya', meaning `secret Khandagiri where experiments are made'. Five great poets in 15th and 16th centuries have vividly described the sacredness of Gupta Khandagiri, Pradhan pointed out.

Rock-cut bench found in the Kayama hills.

The excavation at Kayama hill, on the right bank of the Kelua river, towards the north of the great fort of Tosali, has resulted in a series of discoveries. The rock-cut elephant at Kayama is a unique piece of Kalinga art and was probably erected by Tisa, the brother of Asoka who stayed back in Kalinga after the war. The anatomical features of the elephant are perfectly to the scale.

The name `Tisa' is also inscribed on a rock-cut bench situated towards the north of the Kayama elephant. Tisa, who became a Buddhist, desired to stay in Kalinga with his preceptor Dharmarakhita. Asoka constructed a Vihara, named Bhojakagiri, for his brother.

Remains of pillars found at Tarapur.

A royal pendant found at Radhanagar has the name Tisa inscribed on it. The pendant, made of semi-precious stone and rectangular in shape, has `Sadabhu Tisa' written on one side and the figures of the sun and the moon, a Swastika and the Buddhist symbol on the other sides. The pendant is considered to be a unique symbol of a royal personage who believed in all faiths.

The Orissa Culture Department may be thrilled over the uncovering of the Buddhist heritage, but it is yet to get its act together on saving the relics from plunderers. In recent years, the Buddhist heritage in the district has faced threats from local contractors who carry out illegal quarrying in the hills, to extract red soil and stones that are used for laying asphalt on roads and for building houses.

Burnt bricks found in the Kayama hills.

The local administration, despite efforts from time to time, has not been able to keep the plunderers at bay. The authorities have to take the matter seriously to ensure that the rich Buddhist heritage is protected. Maybe the government should declare the area protected.

PRAFULLA DAS
in Bhubaneswar

(Prafulla Das is a senior journalist associated with the leading national level Indian daily THE HINDU)

Kalinga roots of Sinhalese

" We Sinhalese should remember that our ancestors came from Lada, a territory between Bengal and Kalinga about 2,400 years ago, and that they settled down in that part of the land now known as Anuradhapura......"

From Return to Righteousness: A Collection of Speeches, Essays, and Letters of the Anagarika Dharmapala, Guruge. ed.,Colombo, Government Press, 1965

(Anagarika Dharmapala founded the Maha Bodhi Society in 1891 to spread Buddhism throughout the world)

Courtesy : http://www.nowpublic.com/world/sinhalese-buddhist-chuvanism-sri-lanka